The BBC has defended its Original British Drama trailer after it was criticised for its lack of female stars.

The 90-second trail promoted new series such as The Escape Artist starring David Tennant and the return of popular hits like Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch.

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The clip provoked some criticism online for its focus on male performers, such as Tennant, Cumberbatch, The Great Train Robbery's Luke Evans and By Any Means star Warren Brown.

A spokesperson for the BBC acknowledged to The Telegraph that the trailer had a "male skew" but explained that another trailer "featuring female leads" would follow.

"This is the first in a series of new BBC Original British Drama trailers that showcase the range of our output, each designed to target different parts of our audience," the broadcaster said in a statement.